Vacation for Rent
by Tragic Alchemy
Summary: Charlie has a few surprises up his sleeve for Bella's school break. Much to her irritation, Alice and Edward just add to Charlie's enthusiasm.
1. I

A/N: So, I just got back from a month-long RV journey across the country with my family. It was absolutely INSANE! But in the process, ideas began to spark, and I started orchestrating a new fanfiction. I guess we'll see how this one goes. Read, review, and be sure to check out "The Lunchroom Diaries," which is my Twilight pride and joy!

Disclaimer: Twilight? Yeeeeaaaah, no. Stephenie Meyer is a genius, and my ID doesn't have that name on it, so evidently, I'm not her.

Vacation for Rent

I.

We had just finished lunch, and I was at my locker, retrieving the textbooks I needed for my next class. Was it just me, or did these stupid books get heavier one day and then lighter the next? Much to my aggravation, today was one of their heavy days. I grunted as I topped the stack of books with a composition notebook. That was when Edward and Alice approached me from either side. Edward took half of my wavering stack from me, and Alice closed my locker with a smile. Then we turned to walk to my next class, which was also the furthest classroom from the lockers. I sighed but kept walking.

"Bella, do you have any plans for break?" Alice asked in her sweet, high pitched voice. Edward looked in my direction and smiled.

"No, not really," I admitted. My family, or what I had of one, wasn't really the planned vacation type.

Just then, Alice stopped in her tracks, staring straight ahead with widened eyes. I knew that look. It was the "oh, crap. I just had a vision about someone's future" look. Edward and I both stopped to look at her, just waiting. Suddenly, an enormous smile spread across her tiny, childlike face.

"Yeah, you do," she said.

"Huh?" I asked.

"You have plans!" she announced. Oh, no. This made me nervous.

"…With your family, or with mine?" I asked confused.

"No worries!" she said. "You just need to hurry or you'll be late for class!" And with that, she skipped off in her own direction. I turned my glance toward Edward who mirrored Alice's amusement.

"What was that all about?" I asked, slightly worked up.

"Nah, don't worry about it. You'll find out soon enough," Edward assured, guiding me toward the classroom.

"That's _exactly _what worries me," I told him, but he showed no evidence of response. He just continued walking with that goofy "I know something you don't know" smile. Oh, how he could anger me without even trying. I felt my cheeks glow red with irritation, but it didn't seem to even phase Edward. I growled and entered the designated classroom and took my seat without looking back at him.

I looked to the front of the class to see an unfamiliar figure standing before us. She was a much older woman with wispy gray hair and tiny glasses placed firmly on the bridge of her nose. She wore a purple pant suit and white pumps. She cleared her throat before she spoke.

"Hello, class," she began in a timid voice. "I'm Mrs. Lewis, and I'll be your substitute for the day." Groans that were barely audible sounded around the classroom. Everyone hated substitutes. They were always so picky, ready to send you to the office at the drop of a hat.

"Your normal teacher has already left for break," she continued. "Speaking of break, does anyone have any interesting plans?" The class erupted into many different conversations at once.

"One at a time, please," Mrs. Lewis requested.

"I'm going to France!"

"Sleeping."

"Babysitting."

"Going to my grandparents' farm."

"That's nice," Mrs. Lewis said. "How about…" she trailed off as she scanned the roll sheet.

"How about Mr. Cullen?" she asked looking up. "What do you have planned?"

"Well, apparently I'll be camping," he said, shooting a smile in my direction. Camping. Of course. But when was the last time they went hunting? I could have sworn it was just the other day.

"And Miss Swan?" I heard Mrs. Lewis ask. I was still giving Edward a confused look, but I broke the gaze and looked to Mrs. Lewis, who was looking toward me expectantly. How she knew that I was the Miss Swan she was looking for, I didn't know. Maybe one of the teacher's pets tipped her off.

"I, um… I'm not sure. I think there are some plans, but I'm not totally sure yet," I said, which was the honest truth. When I finished talking, I shot another irritated look toward Edward. He ignored it.

The rest of the school day was uneventful. Then the final bell rang.

People were more pushy in the hallway than usual. I should have figured, though. That final bell meant freedom. Some people were about to leave the country. Others were going to spend their time under their covers, flirting with dreamland. That seemed like a good idea. Maybe if Alice was mistaken I could spend my time catching up on sleep. Gosh, who was I kidding? Alice was never mistaken. Thinking she was wrong was like a death wish.

Edward, Alice, and I made our way to Edward's car. Edward's Volvo. That stupid, gorgeous, expensive, ridiculous car. Okay, so I was just being bitter. The frustration from earlier hadn't worn off, and so I reveled in it.

Alice popped in the back seat, and Edward opened the front passenger side door for me, closing it carefully as soon as I was situated. He slid into the driver's side and soon enough, we were pulling out of the parking lot.

Alice was messing with Edward's radio, never satisfied with what was on. She would listen to one song for a couple seconds, sing a line or two along with it, and then change it.

"Alice, you know how annoying that is?" Edward asked.

"Yep, and that's why I'm doing it!" she said with a stubborn smirk on her face.

We dropped Alice off at the usual spot. As she was climbing out of the car, she still attempted to change the radio station as much as she could. Edward finally smacked her hand away.

"That's enough! I'll see you soon," he told her. She pouted, but smiled again when she turned to me.

"And I'll be talking to _you_ later!" she said with a mischievous grin before turning away from the car and walking away. Edward obviously knew exactly what she was referring to because a very similar smirk was on his lips.

"This is killing me! Simply _killing_ me!" I complained, throwing my head back against the headrest as Edward drove me to my house. He laughed.

"Stop worrying. You'll know what we know right… about… now," he said, pulling into my driveway. I glanced up and saw Charlie's cruiser. Okay, so he was home early. Big deal. What did this have to do with… oh, my God. That's when I saw the rented RV parked alongside the house, partially hidden.

"An RV? _Really?_ What is that man thinking?" I fumed. Edward laughed and got out of the car, rounding to my side.

"This is just the beginning, my dear," he said, taking my hand and guiding me out of the car and to my front door. Charlie had to be insane. Completely insane…

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A/N: Yay, first chapter complete! And before anyone asks, no I don't know what break this is. I was having trouble trying to figure where this would fit in if I kept with the novels, but I didn't have any luck. Oh, well. I suppose it's not too big of a deal. After all, it's fanfiction. So, you see that little button on the bottom left-hand corner of the screen? I dare you to press it!


	2. II

Disclaimer: Nah, I'm still not Stephenie Meyer.

Vacation for Rent

II.

"I thought you would be excited," Charlie told me as he thumbed through an outdoors magazine at the kitchen table. I was leaning against the counter, Edward still standing in the doorway.

"Excited? Me? Camping?" I tried to get through to him that I wasn't exactly the camping type. He of all people should know this. After all, I was _his_ daughter.

"Oh, c'mon Bells. It'll be fun. Besides, it won't be like camping at all! You should see the inside of that monster! There's a couch and a dinette and bunk beds. Heck, you've even got your own private bathroom in the back, shower and all!" Charlie was unusually excited. I wondered what he had eaten for lunch.

"Oh!" he began again. "And I've got some really fun activities planned for this trip! It will be unforgettable! So won't you give it a chance? Please?" I stared at him and he had a look of desperation plastered on his face. I started to feel that ache inside me. The one that told me I was a bad daughter for not humoring my own father for just one stupid trip. I looked at Edward who was leaning comfortably against the counter next to me and offering an encouraging smile. Funny, I didn't even notice him move from the doorway.

"I… I don't know…" I said. I still wasn't convinced.

"I knew it would come to this," Charlie said, setting the magazine down on the table and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'll make you a deal," he began. I raised my eyebrows. A deal? What kind of deal?

"You come camping with me in the RV, and Alice and Edward are welcome to come with us… but be aware that without Alice, there will be no Edward," he finished as he eyed Edward. Was he serious? Not only was he taking me on a trip, he wanted to take two vampires with us? Not that he knew they were vampires, but that wasn't the point. I looked at Edward, and he was staring back at me with an amused grin on his face. I exhaled an aggravated breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

"I can't believe this," I whined. Charlie shrugged and rose from the table.

"You two talk about it, call Alice, and I'll be back. I'm going to take the cruiser to pick up a few things for the trip," Charlie said. He sent one more pleading smile toward me and was out the door. I turned on Edward.

"_What_?!" I demanded. He laughed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I told you I was going camping," he snickered. That's when the phone rang. I considered just letting it ring, but Edward moved to get it. I placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back, and I reluctantly picked up the phone. Before I could even hold the phone up to my ear, I heard a shrill voice through the receiver.

"Of course I'll come with you!" Alice. Of course. Why had I doubted it?

"Er, but…" I tried to think of an excuse.

"What about when it's sunny?" I was proud of myself for finding a legitimate concern.

"It's going to be cloudy the whole time. I already checked!" Alice announced through the phone. "Bella, please?"

"Not you too," I accused.

"I'll be over there in no time!" she said and hung up the phone. Oh, I didn't doubt that. Why wasn't I getting a say in this? I felt like Charlie, Alice, and Edward were suddenly all against me. I sat down at the table and placed my chin in my hands. Soon enough, Edward had taken a seat next to me.

"Bella, it won't be that bad," he assured. "Trust me, it'll be fun. Think about it… me, you, Alice, time together…" He was starting to win me over, but I didn't want him to see that.

"Well…" I struggled. "What… what about food? Charlie's going to expect you two to eat, and I'm going to expect you to get hungry sooner or later."

"Don't worry about Charlie," he said as he brushed my hair away from my face. "Alice and I have gotten our way around meals before."

"What about the other part?" I asked flatly.

"Well, we _are_ going camping. If it gets bad enough, I'm sure it wouldn't take long to find sustenance." He offered a gleaming smile. How could I say "no" to that? I closed my eyes, trying to block out the image of his gorgeous face. It didn't work.

"Okay," I submitted with my eyes still closed. He leaned in and placed a kiss on my cheek.

"I'll let Alice in," he said as he stood. That's right… why use a doorbell when the _other_ beautiful vampire can already hear you?

Alice didn't waste any time to get to my side. She was already rattling off about her excitement.

"Oh, Bella, I'm so excited! Thank you so much for agreeing. I mean, I already _knew_ you were going to agree, but there was still a chance that you wouldn't want to go. But anyway!" She stopped to examine my face. She frowned when she calculated that my smile was only out of courtesy.

"Don't worry," Edward pushed, locking his eyes on me. The fire in his eyes melted my cold shoulder, and I let a larger smile slip from my lips. He was right. I was going to be spending time with him and Alice. What better way to spend my vacation?

"You know, it's okay to be excited, Bella," Alice said, placing her hands on her hips. "After all, I see nothing but fun ahead of us."

"Don't you want to spend your break with Jasper?" I tried one last time. The hope in my voice was obvious. All she did was smile at me. I sighed in defeat, and I heard Charlie's cruiser pull up in the driveway.

It didn't take him long to come inside.

"Alice!" he exclaimed when he saw her standing in the kitchen. She returned his smile as he placed two shopping bags upon the counter. Then he turned his full body to me.

"The verdict?" he asked, trying to sound official and businesslike. Out of my peripheral vision I could see both Alice and Edward grinning. Apparently, Charlie could see them, too, but he tried to not let their faces affect him. Not just yet.

"Well, as you can probably see by the looks and their faces," I said motioning toward Alice and Edward, "I decided to go along with this vacation thing you've got planned."

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A/N: And then there were two chapters posted. Soooooo, review! Much love!


	3. III

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. If I did, casting for the movie would have been just a _bit_ different.

Vacation for Rent

III.

I stared at my suitcase, confused in two different aspects. For one, what else could I possibly put into it? Secondly, why was I filling it up anyway when I was just going to unpack it in the closet of the RV that was parked next to my house? I shrugged and went to my drawer to grab another pair of socks, which I discovered you can never have too many of.

I looked up at my digital clock. 8:56 am. Edward and Alice were told to be here at nine so we could pack up and be on our way by ten. Edward had weaseled his way out of my bed while I was still asleep, and I hadn't even noticed he was gone until I rolled over and noticed there wasn't a guardrail on that particular side anymore. It had been just after 7:30 then. I suspected that he took off shortly after I fell asleep to meet up with Alice and take a quick hunting trip to hold them over for as long as possible. I shrugged it off, over thinking as usual.

And then I heard the Volvo. I made one more quick glance over my suitcase and decided that I was as ready as I'd ever be. I zipped it closed and turned to leave the room. I paused in the doorway… well, maybe one more pair of socks. I traced my steps back into my room and back to my sock drawer. I pulled out a pair a gray socks and left the room.

I bounded down the stairs, suitcase in one hand, socks in the other. Edward met me at the foot of the stairs and reached for my suitcase. I smiled and graciously handed it to him.

"That's more like it, Bella!" Alice said from behind him. That was the first time I hadn't forced a smile since I agreed to go on this trip, and Alice noticed.

Edward eyed the socks I held in my hand.

"For me?" he asked sarcastically.

I made a face at him and reached for the zipper to my suitcase, unzipping it just enough to slide the last pair of socks in.

Charlie came through the front door, grinning from ear to ear. He was obviously excited about the trip, and I was determined to do my best not to ruin that.

"Bella's is the last suitcase. Then I can give the grand tour, and we can unpack!" he announced. I nodded, Alice giggled, and Edward smiled.

We all herded toward the RV. I couldn't help but worry at the look on Alice's face. I was certain she had a little too much fun shopping with Charlie the night before for everything. When I say everything, I mean _everything_. Bedding, maps, raincoats, extra pillows, first aid kits, shower supplies, board games, the works. Alice was appointed head decorator.

I took a deep breath and allowed Edward to help me up the side steps into the RV. And much to my surprise… I was impressed. Charlie was right. It wasn't going to be like camping at all.

"Alright!" Charlie began. "The tour begins here, which is where I sleep." He motioned toward a large bed that was above the "cockpit." It was coated in beige and hunter green. Alice's doing, I was sure.

"This area is the kitchen," Charlie continued, glancing to either side of him. The kitchen area was located directly behind the driver's seat. It was complete with sink, refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, and plenty of cabinet space. Charlie was even sure to get a toaster and coffee maker.

Charlie reached for the fridge, opening it to display its contents. It was full of bottles of water, cans of soda, lunch meats, condiments, brand name Lunchables, and even a couple chocolate bars.

"Everyone can help themselves to whatever is in the fridge, as well as the cabinets," he said moving to the side to open a cabinet above the sink. I saw popcorn, poptarts, bread, macaroni and cheese, and ramen noodles.

"And just beyond this kitchen area is the lovely dinette," Charlie said, pointing to a booth-styled dining area.

"And across from the dinette is the couch, also where Bella will be sleeping." I gave him a look. The couch? He noticed my reluctance, and his face settled into a softer smile. He slipped the cushions off to reveal a sofa bed. I sighed in relief. He pulled it out partially to show that it was already covered in red and white polka-dotted bedding. I blamed Alice.

"Your pillows are up here, kiddo," Charlie said, opening a cabinet above the couch. I caught a glimpse of red and white.

After replacing the cushions to the couch, Charlie moved even further back into the RV.

"And here are the bunk beds, where Alice and Edward will be sleeping." Sleeping. Yeah, right. I glanced at Edward, but he was just smiling at Charlie. Maybe he was more into this than I gave him credit for. I turned my gaze to Alice who was practically jumping up and down in excitement. I decided to check out the bunks anyway, even if I _knew_ they wouldn't be used.

The top bunk was covered in bright pastels. Blue, pink, purple, and green. Ah, Alice. I looked below it to see navy blue and white vertical stripes. I was having trouble deciding whether it suited Edward or not when Charlie interrupted my thoughts.

"And this… this is the bathroom," he finished with a smile. He swung open a door with a full-length mirror on it to show a surprisingly clean washroom. It had a bathtub with a showerhead, a medicine cabinet, a sink, another set of cabinets, and a perfectly functioning RV toilet.

"Let's get situated!" Charlie announced, walking back to the front of the RV.

I turned to Alice and Edward. Alice didn't waste any time and was hugging me. Tightly.

"Bella, I'm so excited!" she exclaimed.

"I noticed," I said with a laugh. She let go and went to pull her suitcase over to the dinette.

I then looked to Edward, who was looking at me expectantly with raised eyebrows. I pursed my lips together trying to suppress a smile. That didn't last very long. I allowed a grin to spread across my face.

"Okay! I admit it!… It may actually be fun…"


	4. IV

Disclaimer: Surely you don't think I actually own Twilight.

Vacation for Rent

IV.

"Right again!" Alice exclaimed. She and Edward were engaged in a never-ending game of I Spy, which was completely ridiculous. All Alice had to do was look at something and Edward automatically knew what she was going to "spy" next. Stupid mind reader.

It was nearly two o'clock and we were still on the road. Charlie had preplanned our first destination and was determined not to tell me anything. Whenever I asked him anything, he would say, "It's a surprise!" I had a feeling I should get used to hearing him say that. After all, that was going to be his number one excuse the whole trip. Just call it a haunch.

"I spy…" Alice began again.

"Bella's shirt," Edward said flatly.

"Wow, you're good," I said with false enthusiasm.

"Stop cheating," Alice demanded with a pout. It was a good thing Charlie was too occupied with the map to pay attention to us in the back, otherwise he would have been slightly confused at how someone could cheat at I Spy.

"Let's play something different," Edward suggested.

"Hmm… okay. I made sure we brought some board games," Alice said as she reached out to one of the cabinets over the dinette.

"Life, Clue, Sorry, Trouble, Monopoly, Risk…" Alice listed off as she scanned the boxes.

"Scrabble, Checkers, Pictionary…" she continued. Honestly, none of them sounded appealing to me. I would have been perfectly content just sitting there, doing nothing. But I was slightly convinced there would be no need to argue with her. I could feel Charlie slow down. He pulled into a campground where an enormous green and yellow sign that read "Happy Trails" marked the entrance.

"Here we are!" Charlie announced, putting down the map he was previously fighting with. Happy Trails? I mentally stammered as I couldn't figure out how to properly insult the name of the place.

"Aww, no board games?" Alice asked.

"Not right now. Maybe later. I'm going to get us checked in," he said as he slid out of the driver's seat and out onto the gravel.

"You're welcome to come in with me if you want," he said before closing the door behind him. Part of me was eager to get out and walk around, and I could see that Edward was also anxious to stretch his legs, so we went out the side door and followed Charlie into the check-in office.

The inside had dark paneled walls and a cheap tiled floor with a fish tank along one of the walls containing five goldfish, all looking exactly alike. Long fluorescent light bulbs lined the ceiling and the windows were covered with vertical blinds, stained with age. The office smelled of cleaning chemicals and lady's perfume, and attraction brochures lined the wall across from the fish tank.

Alice walked immediately to the fish tank and began to name the gilled creatures.

"That one can be Fred, and that one Dennis, and this one can be Cheryl. The antisocial one is Paula, and the little skinny one will be Edward!" she finished as she glanced toward Edward. He made a face at her.

"I mean… Edward…o. Eduardo!" she amended.

A woman with dirty blonde hair, dark eyes, and crows feet emerged from a door behind the desk I didn't even realize was there. She grabbed a book and scanned it with her finger.

"Peters, Sharpe, McRae, or Swan?" she asked, looking up at Charlie. That's when I realized how short she was.

"Swan, party of four," Charlie responded proudly. Party of four was much more exciting than party of one.

"Alright, you have site 27. Checkout time is one. The office is open from eight to eight. Oh, and hang this on your rearview mirror," she said as she handed him a bright green campground pass.

"Thank you," Charlie said with a smile. The woman nodded without looking up.

"Shall we?" Charlie asked turning to the rest of us. We filed out of the office and back into the RV. We took a few curves and pulled into a site with a picnic table and a fire ring. There was a wooden post with the number 27 painted in green paint.

"So, I say we'll hookup and then we'll head to the first activity I have planned for us," Charlie said turning around in his driver's seat. Alice smiled, Edward nodded, and I shrugged.

"I'll help you with the hookups," Edward offered, standing from his spot. Charlie grinned.

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A/N: Okay, so it's not much. But I needed some type of transition before I started getting into certain activities. It'll start looking up soon. Until then, much love!


	5. V

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it.

Vacation for Rent

V.

It wasn't much of a sight, the two buildings in front of me. One was a small office and the other was a larger metal structure. Charlie had left the three of us outside on the front bench while he went into the office. There wasn't much around, so I was still trying to figure out where we were.

"Okay… so what is this place?" I tried.

"You still haven't figured it out?" Alice asked.

"It's not like I have much to guess from," I informed her, motioning toward the two structures. Two other families strolled up at that time, heading for the office.

"Should we tell her, or should we let Charlie surprise her?" Alice asked, leaning forward to speak to Edward, who was on my other side. He didn't have to answer. Charlie made his way through the office door, finding his way toward our bench with four blue admission tickets in hand. He handed one to each of us, and I studied it.

"Underground copper mines?" I asked in disbelief. What was so exciting about copper mines?

"Yep," Charlie announced triumphantly.

"I hope you're not claustrophobic," Edward whispered to me with a grin. I stared back at him with wide eyes.

"Let's get a move on!" Charlie exclaimed as he walked toward the metal building, leaving us behind. Alice leapt up and chased after him, and Edward pulled my reluctant body off the bench.

Charlie went through the doorway, followed by Alice. I caught the door as it began to close, and the wind was knocked out of me. It was much heavier than it looked. I struggled against it, but Edward relieved my efforts when he opened it for me, making it seem as if it were made of paper. Inside, many visitors were seated among the many rows of benches. We took a seat at an empty bench at the back of the room, furthest from the large film screen that made up most of the front wall.

"Hello, there! My name is Joel, and I'll be your tour guide this afternoon," announced a voice at the front of the room. It came from an older man with a bushy gray beard and dirty overalls. He had a hardhat, a tool belt, and enormous hands.

"First thing's first. I would like for all of you to watch the safety video, and then we'll get ready to go down into the mines!" When he finished the introduction, the lights dimmed, and the screen came to life. Basically, it just told us what we were going to be doing. Take a hardhat, ride the shaft that takes you underground, then board the mine train. It seemed like a simple assessment. Just before the safety film ended, there was a quick reminder about not feeding the bats. Wait, bats? Great.

"What's the matter?" Edward whispered to me as the lights came back on.

"I'm just not very excited about dealing with your cousins," I teased halfheartedly.

"Alright," Joel began. "Please take a hat from that table," – he pointed to a corner of the room – "and adjust it by twisting the plastic piece in the back. Keep in mind that it needs to be snug. Then please follow me out this door to the shaft."

We all followed instructions, twisting the piece of the adjustable hardhat until it felt like it was going to crush my skull, and we followed him to see what looked like an age-old, rusted elevator that was to descend into the shaft that was in the floor. My eyes found their way down to the other end of the room where another elevator was.

"This group has 25 people, that means we'd like 12 people in one shaft and 13 in the other. Now if we were back in the day when this mine was still operating, all 25 would try to squeeze into one," Joel explained. Our party of four flocked to one of the shafts, and another employee took a head count. I secretly hoped we were the one with twelve. I didn't want to push our luck. Sadly, the woman with the walkie-talkie mouthed thirteen. She pushed a few buttons on a key pad, and the doors creaked open.

"I need you guys to make your way to the very back and squeeze everyone in. Be sure to fill in all the empty spaces," the woman said, her voice ringing with authority. We all did as we were told.

"Oh, no. They're making sardines out of us," a man told his son, who seemed to be about seven or eight. We all squeezed in, everyone touching. I clung to Edward, pressing my body into his, the chill of his skin piercing mine. He wrapped his arms around me.

"This shaft will take you down two miles," the woman explained. "It goes up to fifteen miles an hour, but it won't seem that fast," she finished with a smile. "Have a great time!" And with that, she closed the doors to the shaft. It was dark, very dark. Pitch black. We had no source of light.

"Mommy," I heard a young girl whine. Up until then I was fine, but when I heard the fear in the little girl's voice, a tremor of my own terror found its way through my body. Edward pulled me closer, as if it were possible, and I felt the shaft move beneath my feet.

As we descended, the screech of the moving shaft filled the tiny room, blocking out all other sounds. I had a hard time even hearing myself think. I twisted Edward's shirt in my hands, trying to get a hold of myself. My heart raced as I thought about the descending shaft, worried that the breaks wouldn't kick in and we would all end up dead, a pile of mush two miles below ground… well, everyone dead aside from the two obvious exceptions.

It took me awhile to realize how cold I was. I thought it was just because the world's most beautiful ice sculpture just so happened to be sculpted around me. But then we finally came to an abrupt stop, and I dug my fingers into Edward to keep from falling over into the stranger beside me. His hands steadied me.

The doors opened, and dim light flooded in. I had to look around to make sure we all lived, and it was obvious by the curious looks on all the other faces that I wasn't the only one that had to do so. Slowly, one by one, people began to laugh off their previous fear. Among them I could pick out Alice's giggles, Edward's chuckles, and a hearty laugh that belonged to Charlie.

"Welcome!" Joel shouted, swinging his head around one of the doors to the shaft. I jumped at his loud, exuberant greeting. "Please make your way to the mine cars. Four people in each cart, please," he finished. My legs didn't want to move at first, but Edward nearly pulled me over to the mine train.

As soon as everyone was seated, Edward sitting next to me, Alice across from me, and Charlie across from Edward, the mine train took us deeper into the mine. The cold air bit at my face, and it was then that I realized it wasn't Edward that was making me cold in the shaft. It was so cold here underground that I could see my breath come out in puffs under the faint lighting. I put my head down and closed my eyes, trying to keep my face out of the cold air.

When we rolled to a stop, we were brought down a tunnel and directed up a steep spiral staircase. Edward insisted he follow me, guessing I would get dizzy and lose my balance. Sure enough, he was right, discreetly catching me from behind when it was called for. I made a mental note to never put a spiral staircase in my home.

After the stupid staircase escapade, we finally found a large cavern where lights dimly lit the area here and there. It was obvious to me that we were now in the belly of the mine.

"This, ladies and gentlemen," Joel called over everyone, "is where all of the painstaking labor happened back in the day of this copper mine. Now, as you may have guessed, the workers didn't have the luxury of these strategically placed electric lights. If we were here when it was still in operation, it would look much like this…"

The large cavern was submerged into darkness. Reflexively, my arms found Edward's waist. Some children could be heard making worried whimpers, and glancing around in the total darkness, seeing completely nothing but black, I couldn't blame them.

Joel's voice broke the anxiety. "Watch out for the vampires," he joked. The adults laughed, but Edward's and Alice's laughs were dark. Then the lights came back on. "See? Vampire," Joel said as he pointed toward a lone bat in one of the high corners. I looked up at Edward who just shook his head in amusement. Alice seemed insulted.

The rest of the tour was cold. There was no other way to describe it. I counted down the moments to when we could return to the surface and I could thaw out.

When we had finally returned to our campsite to retire for the night, Charlie wolfed down a lunchable and climbed up into his bed. "I'm bushed," he said, making himself comfortable under the covers. "Driving takes a lot out you. You guys should get to sleep, too. Eat something and get some rest. See you guys in the morning."

"'Night," I called to him. Edward took a lunchable out of the refrigerator and handed it to me, while Alice pulled out my bed. She yanked my pillows out of the cabinet and threw them on the bed, and then climbed up into her bunk. I rolled my eyes at her charade, but she seemed to be enjoying it. I ate in silence, unaware I was so hungry.

After I had pajamas on, I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I came out of the bathroom and Edward was ready to tuck me in.

"You don't have to tuck me in," I whispered.

"I want to," he insisted. I rolled my eyes and complied. He kissed me on the forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Get some sleep. We're all in for a treat tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I asked, afraid of what he meant by that.

He made himself comfortable in his bunk. "Tomorrow," he repeated.

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A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! I was missing the motivation to write, but decided it was something I needed to do. So, this chapter is based off of the underground iron mines in Soudan, Minnesota. It was pretty awesome. Review and keep reading! Much love!


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